White Christmas?

December 18, 2007

It has been snowing here for four days. As I write, there is about 6 inches piled up on top of the stump that I've been using as a measure outside our kitchen window. One of the thing on my life list is to have a white Christmas somewhere - obviously away from our current home. Thing are looking promising here. So I ask... does the snow have to be freshly fallen or does three day old snow count? I am not an expert in this realm and solicit your counsel. I think we are going to be able to check this one off the list after next week.

We had dinner with our friends from church here. The pastor is Nicolie and his wife is Anna... I'm sure I have misspelled his name - please forgive me. I mentioned earlier that they are doing a great work at the orphanage where we have been. We had heard about them from previous families and what a wonderful work they were doing. We enjoyed so much worshiping with them on Sunday and were delighted to be invited to dine with them last night.

Oh, how wonderful the food was. Anna had prepared a macaroni, cheese and chicken dish along with a Olivier (sp?) salad, another vegetable salad, some tomato juice from their garden and a wonderful cake afterwards. Whoa! I had not eaten this much since we've been here. I think everyone was filled. It was a wonderful time and we thoroughly enjoyed it. They have two beautiful young girls and by then end of our time together, KB was learning the Russian and Ukrainian alphabets.

Our conversations after dinner revolved around the ministry that they were doing at the orphanage. We all agreed that one of the biggest opportunities (or maybe gaps is a better word) is the care and training of orphanage graduates. The outlook after graduation is bleak. His vision is to be able to build or buy apartments and staff them with mature Christians that can look after and mentor these children - and I do mean children. Most are 16 to 18 and completely on their own. They need advice on how to live and how to take care of their business and affairs. God is raising up people here (and in other parts of the world) for that purpose. It is interesting to see God at work in other places with other people that we know along the same lines. Pray for this ministry.

BTW, Nicholie pastors a Baptist church, and believe it or not, after the service we had dinner on the grounds with the culturally appropriate "boiled" as opposed to "fried" chicken. Some things are the same everywhere you go. I have always enjoyed worshipping with other believers in other parts of the world. It is such a blessing for me to think that as I sleep on the other side of the earth, people are worshipping a praising God in their own tongue in they way in which God has called them to do so.

Another church from across the city had joined them for worship this day. They brought instruments and a choir and really did a great job. I'm not sure what the occasion was, but it was fun to see them interact. We didn't know many of the songs as they were local in flavor, but at the end of the service they did a medley with several hymns that we did know. We sang the verses in English that we could remember. I was a little concerned that we might be called down for speaking in tongues. -JK

We miss home, but we are finding ourselves reasonably comfortable and well taken care of here. Pray for our children as we will be here for Christmas. This will be a very special time for our family as we learn to be together. Likewise, there are other families that will be spending Christmas here. December 25th is just another business day here. We may actually need to go to Dasha's birth city and get her new birth certificate on this day. We will see how this plays out.

"A father of the fatherless, a defender of the widows, is God in His holy habitation." Psalm 68:5

Blessing to you all,

The Grace's